By NICK SCHWIEN

nschwien@dailynews.net

Surviving is key.

But surviving and finishing in a good position will be more important -- especially with $5,000 on the line.

Danny Morrison Jr. echoes those thoughts entering this weekend's Fall Nationals at RPM Speedway in Hays. The nationals will feature hobby stocks, stocks and modifieds, with the winner of Saturday night's modified feature taking home $5,000. Races Friday are scheduled for 7 p.m., with a 4 p.m. start time Saturday for the final action at RPM this season.

"I'd really like to have a good run Friday night to get in a good position for the $5,000 to win the second night," said Morrison, the season's track champion from Minneapolis.

Morrison won the regular season title with 246 points, just 14 ahead of Salina's Corey Lagroon and 20 ahead of Barry Maupin of Lucas.

"The wins have kinda eluded me a little bit," Morrison said about taking the checkered flag at RPM Speedway this season. "So I'd really like to get a win there this year."

Morrison will be just one of many modified drivers taking to the dirt oval this weekend when the Blood, Sweat and Tears modified series comes to Hays. It also will be one of the highest payouts for the BST series this season.

"It's going to take pretty much a flawless race by whoever wins it," Morrison said. "I've been racing with the best around here anyway ... but it's going to take the total package put together to win it."

The Fall Nationals originally were scheduled for Sept. 12 and 13. But rain forced the cancelation of the first day, and track officials opted to run the second day as part of the regular season schedule and postpone the nationals until this weekend.

More than 50 modified drivers showed up for that one day on Sept. 13, but racer Jerry Phillips -- who has multiple wins at RPM this year -- is expecting even more this weekend.

"You have to draw good and qualify good," the Galva driver said. "I think you're going to have to qualify good Friday for Saturday, maybe in the top six."

Phillips also hopes the weather holds out.

"I just hope we have nice weather," said Phillips, who finished fifth in track points at RPM. "I enjoy racing out there, and it's a good track."

Russell's Jeremy Zorn won the inaugural Fall Nationals a year ago and could be in the running again this year, especially after winning the Sept. 13 show at RPM against some talented competition.

Oberlin's David Murray Jr. and Oklahoma's Eddie Martin are expected to make the trip, too, adding to the big names this weekend.

But Morrison knows he has a chance to make a name for himself in Hays. He stumbled onto a good setup recently at his home track in Minneapolis and is ready to keep it going this weekend.

"I'm not going to be too confident," he said. "But I'm pretty confident I'll be able to run up front."